Strategic Downtown Location Supports Growing Team and Enhanced Client Services in Port-Centric Market
ARCO Design/Build, a leading national design-build firm, today announced the expansion of its Charleston operations with the opening of a new 6,000-square-foot office in downtown Charleston. Located at 7 Radcliffe Street, Suite 200, the new space positions the company in the heart of Charleston’s business district, overlooking King Street.
The downtown location, which officially opened in December 2024, features design elements that honor Charleston’s architectural heritage, including refurbished wooden floors and local-inspired décor. Modern amenities such as a golf simulator and dedicated entertainment spaces enhance the office’s functionality for both client meetings and team collaboration.
“Our expansion into downtown Charleston represents a strategic investment in a market that is integral to our Southeast regional growth,” said Eric Thompson, President at ARCO Design/Build overseeing Charleston, Charlotte, and Greenville operations. “The port’s connectivity to major industrial highways creates unique development opportunities. The talented Charleston workforce has been instrumental in serving our diverse client base across multiple sectors, which remains a cornerstone of ARCO’s business.”
The Charleston office has experienced approximately 20% team growth in the past year alone and plans to continue hiring in 2025. As part of ARCO’s robust Southeast regional operations, the Charleston team has successfully delivered numerous high-profile industrial projects, including the Port City Center Phase 1, a multi-building industrial park totaling over 646,000 square feet.
“Our goal is to help Charleston businesses plan proactively for growth,” said Chris Nonneman, Vice President at ARCO Design/Build Charleston. “We focus on connecting directly with end users that need new facilities or expansions and improvements to their existing space. Our design-build model gives companies one point of contact throughout the entire process, locking in project pricing before permitting begins and providing budget certainty that often prevents costly redesigns.”
The company also announced the appointment of Will Ederle as Director of Business Development. Ederle, who joined ARCO in November 2024, brings nearly 10 years of commercial real estate experience in the Charleston market with firms including Avison Young and Colliers.
“I’m excited to join ARCO during this expansion phase,” said Ederle, who holds the SIOR designation. “My background in Charleston’s commercial real estate market will help us forge strategic relationships with industrial and manufacturing clients. Working closely with economic developers and the brokerage community, we become true partners who understand client operations at a fundamental level.”
ARCO’s Charleston portfolio demonstrates the firm’s technical expertise across complex construction challenges. In the industrial sector, the company completed Port City Center Phase 1, a significant industrial park redevelopment exceeding 646,000 square feet and a specialized 41,750-square-foot conditioned warehouse for RMS Beauty. In the Industrial Outdoor Storage (IOS) market, ARCO delivered a 21-acre industrial development on Bryhawke Circle with custom features specifically designed for industrial outdoor storage and bulk liquid distribution. The firm’s self-storage expertise, which includes over 140 completed projects nationwide, rounds out ARCO’s diverse capabilities in the Charleston region.
The company’s design-build approach emphasizes single-source accountability and streamlined processes that minimize disruption while maximizing value. This hands-on, problem-solving mindset has established ARCO as a trusted partner capable of handling both large-scale developments and specialized facility improvements.
In 2025, ARCO plans to continue expanding its Charleston presence while diversifying its market focus beyond traditional industrial warehouses. The firm is leveraging its design-build expertise to serve clients in life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and commercial and entertainment sectors, while maintaining its strong position in industrial, IOS, and self-storage sectors. This strategic diversification complements ARCO’s established presence across key market segments throughout the Southeast.
The Charleston expansion is part of ARCO’s broader Southeast growth strategy, which includes recent developments in the Greenville and Memphis markets. These strategic locations strengthen the company’s presence across key Southeastern corridors and industrial centers. The company remains active in the community through partnerships with organizations including Ronald McDonald House, First Tee, and Habitat for Humanity, and is planning a pickleball fundraiser tournament later this year.
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